List of jet aircraft of World War II

Messerschmitt Me 262, the most numerous jet fighter of World War II, in flight

This is a list of jet aircraft that were developed during the Second World War. Rockets and aircraft for which construction had not begun by the end of the war are excluded. Entries coloured in green were operational during the war. Production figures for aircraft used postwar include examples built after the war ended, of the same versions already flying during the war.

Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	1st Flight	Date Operational	# built	Notes
Arado Ar 234	Germany	June 1943	August 1944	250+	first jet bomber[1][2]
Bell P-59 Airacomet	US	October 1942	n/a	66	first USAAF jet to fly; used as trainer, production cancelled[3]
Bell XP-83	US	February 1945	n/a	2	cancelled long-range escort fighter[4]
Caproni Campini N.1	Italy	August 1940	n/a	2	first Italian thermojet[5]
Consolidated Vultee XP-81	US	February 1945	n/a	2	cancelled mixed power fighter[6]
de Havilland Vampire F.1	UK	September 1943	March 1946	244	postwar production[7]
Douglas XBTD-2 Destroyer	US	May 1944	n/a	2	cancelled mixed power torpedo bomber[8][9]
Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster	US	May 1946	n/a	2	cancelled jet bomber[notes 1]
Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg	Germany	September 1944	n/a	300	ready for operations late 1944, not used[notes 2][10]
Gloster E.28/39	UK	April 1941	n/a	2	engine testbed and first Allied jet to fly.[11]
Gloster Meteor F.1 & F.3	UK	March 1943	July 1944	250	first operational Allied jet & first jet on jet kill (over V-1 flying bomb).[12]
Heinkel He 162	Germany	December 1944	February 1945	238+	lightweight interceptor[13]
Heinkel He 178	Germany	August 1939	n/a	2	jet engine testbed and first jet aircraft to fly
Heinkel He 280	Germany	September 1940	n/a	9	first jet fighter to fly, cancelled
Henschel Hs 132	Germany	n/a	n/a	4	dive bomber, captured before flown
Horten Ho 229	Germany	December 1944	n/a	3	fighter/bomber, first jet powered flying wing[14]
Junkers Ju 287 V-1/2/3	Germany	August 1944	n/a	1	multi-engine bomber[15]
Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star	US	January 1944	January 1945	361	first operational USAAF jet fighter[16]
McDonnell FD Phantom	US	January 1945	July 1947	62	postwar production, designation changed April 1946 to FH.[17][18]
Messerschmitt Me 262	Germany	July 1942	June 1944	1,433	first operational jet fighter[19]
Messerschmitt Me 328	Germany	1944 (early)	n/a	9	cancelled pulse jet fighter/bomber
Messerschmitt P.1101	Germany	n/a	n/a	2	captured before flown[20]
Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250 & MiG-13	USSR	March 1945	n/a	28	mixed power thermojet fighter[21]
Nakajima Kikka	Japan	August 1945	n/a	1	jet interceptor, similar but smaller than Me 262[notes 3][22]
Northrop XP-79B	US	September 1945	n/a	1	cancelled after crash[23]
Ryan FR Fireball	US	June 1944	March 1945	66	US Navy mixed power, never saw combat[24]
Sukhoi Su-5	USSR	April 1945	n/a	1	cancelled mixed power thermojet fighter[25]
Yokosuka MXY7 Model 22	Japan	July 1945	n/a	50	kamikaze thermojet version built but not used[notes 4]

See also

• List of rocket aircraft
• List of fighter aircraft
• List of bomber aircraft
• List of aircraft of World War II

References

Notes

1. Development began in 1944, at an advanced state of development when the war ended.
2. Manned variant of V-1 flying bomb intended for suicide attacks against high value targets
3. 22 additional Kikkas were near completion when the end of the war ended production.
4. Jet engine powered version of rocket kamikaze "Ohka" Suicide Attacker, only three engines were available for the 50 airframes.

Citations

1. Smith, 1984, pp.2, 8 & frontispiece
2. Nohara, 1996, p.72
3. Pelletier, 1992, pp.50-54
4. Pelletier, 1992, pp.61-62
5. Smith, 1941, p.c
6. Ginter, 2007
7. Harrison, 2000, pp.2, 8 & 14
8. Kowalski, 1995, pp.42-43
9. Francillon, 1979, pp.356-360
10. Myhra, 2007, pp.3, 6
11. Kershaw, 2004, pp.38, 54
12. Butler, 2006, pp.15, 23, 26, 48 & 105
13. Smith, 1986, pp.6, 12 & frontispiece
14. Daprowski, 1991, pp.5
15. Hitchcock, 1974
16. Francillon, 1987, pp.235-243
17. Ginter, 1981, pp.2 & 19
18. Francillon, 1990, pp.65-67
19. Baker, 1997, pp.7, 8, 31, 77, 111 & 128
20. Myhra, 1999
21. Gunston, 1999, pp.40-43
22. Mikesh, 1979, pp.1 & 31
23. Anderson, 1976, pp.76-78
24. Ginter, 1995, p.3 & 45
25. Antonov, 1996, pp.68-69

Bibliography

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• Butler, Phil; Buttler, Tony (2006). Gloster Meteor - Britain's celebrated first generation jet. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing. ISBN 978-1857802306.
• Daprowski, H.P. (1991). The Horten Flying Wing in World War II - The History and Development of the Ho 229. Schiffer Military History Volume 47. West Chester, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0887403576.
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• Ginter, Steven J. (1981). McDonnell FH=1 Phantom. Naval Fighters Number Three. Simi Valley California: Ginter Books. ISBN 978-0942612035.
• Ginter, Steve (1995). Ryan FR-1 Fireball and XF2R-1 Darkshark. Naval Fighters Number Twenty Eight. Simi Valley California: Ginter Books. ISBN 978-0942612288.
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